Rock handling device



Jan. 15, 1935. o4 R. ODMAN ROCK HANDLING DEVICE Filed Dec. 3l, 1931 Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT V.OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to rock handling devices and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description.

It is the practice at present in handling large pieces of rock or stone to 'make holes or recesses in the side of the` rock near the upper edge by means of a tool and then insert therein the engaging parts of a holding device by means of which the rock is lifted and moved to the point desired. This requires time and labor and is expensive, and the pieces of rock or stone are liable to break ofi, as the pressure applied thereto by the lifting device produces a shearing strain on the material so that it is liable to break Vand cause the rock or stone to fall.

The present invention has for its object to avoid these diiculties and to provide a rock handling device which requires no special treatment of the rock and which applies thereto a pressure exerting a compression strain instead of a shearing strain, thereby avoiding any'tendency of the material to break. The invention has afurther object to provide a rock handling device which is easily and quickly attached to the rock and easily and quickly disconnected therefrom. 'Ihe invention has other objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying description.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. l is a side view of one form of device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge View of thedevice shown in Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 reduced in size and showing the parts in their released position Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the controlling iiexible member; y Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; .y

Fig. 8 is a view showing a modified construction of onerof the clamping faces.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein I have illustrated one form of the device embodying the invention, I provide a supporting member 1 by means of which the device is supported by rope, cable or the like 2, which is connected with any suitable actuating device, such as the usual crane derrick nowv used for handling stone orheavy bundles, so that the rock handling device may be manipulated as desired. y

Pivotallyl connected Vwith the supporting member are the arms Sand 4. These arms may be formed and arranged in any desired manner. In the particular construction shown the arm 3 is provided with a fork 5 into which the supporting member 1 is received, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The supporting member 1 is recessed at 6 to receive the end of the arm 4, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 4The two arms are preferably mounted -upon the same pivot or pin 7.'-

Pivotally connected with the arms 3 and 4 are the engaging members 8 and 9. These engagingl members have laterally extending portions 10 and l1. vThe arm 3 is connectedto one end ofthe laterally extending portion 1G by a pivot'or pin 12, and the arm 4 is connected to one end of the laterally extending portion'll by the pivot or pin 13. The laterally extending portions 10 and 11 have engaging faces 14 and A15 which engage the stone 16. These engaging faces may be roughened as shown in Fig. 1, or vthey may have pieces of` hardened material 1'7 connected therewith as shown in Fig. 8 to increase the friction between said faces and the stone engaged thereby.

The engaging members 8 and 9 are pivotally connected at 18 to a block or pulley supporting member 19. This member carries the pulleys 20 and 21. Connected with the endof the supporting member 1 is a pulley 22. A flexible powerv transmitting device 23 has one end connectedto the supporting member l, as by being connected with the shaft 24 of the pulley 22. This cable or 1 flexible power transmitting device 23 then passes about the pulley 21 and then about the pulley 22 and then about the pulley 20, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5, and then throughla guiding device 25. This power transmitting device is then connected up with suitable 'controlmechanisrn on the crane, derrick or the like.

The device is adapted for use with rocks of largesize running up into tons in weight, and it is of course evident that the cables will be of suiiicient strength for this purpose, as will be the otherv parts of the device. The derrick or crane now in use has on it means for manipulating the cables 2 and 23, and I have therefore not shown these constructions. All that is necessary is that there shall be a crane, derrick or the like for moving the rock from one place to another, and that there shall be means for tightening and loosening the cables 2 and 23 so that the weightv will be suspended from the cable 23 kwhen the rock is being clampedand moved, and the weight will be suspended from the cable 2 when it is desired to release the rock when the device is being moved from one position to another when the rock is not clamped therein.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying the invention, but it is of course evident that the parts may be varied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of the invention as embodied in the claims hereto appended. I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The device, when used for example for moving large rocks, is brought into proper position above the rock and is suspended from the cable 2 and lowered to position. When so suspended the weights of the parts 8, 9 and 19, when the cable 23 is loosened, causes the engaging devices to separate to be ready to receive the rock, as shown in Fig. 4. When the device is lowered in position with the rock between the engaging faces 14 and 15, the cable 23 is tightened, the cable 2 being preferably loosened, and this, through the agency of the pulleys, causes the engaging members to move towards each other so that the engaging faces thereon engage the rock 16. The device is now manipulated by pulling on the cable 23. This forces the engaging members towards each other y and tightly clamps the rock between the laterally extending portions 10 and 11 of the engaging members. It will further be seen that when the weight is entirely suspended by the cable 23, this pressure is determined and controlled by the weight of the rock 16. The heavier this rock the greater the pressure of the engaging faces 14 and l5 thereon. It will thus be seen that this construction insures the tight gripping of the rock between the engaging faces 14 and 15 of the engaging members. The device may then be moved to the point where it is desired to deposit the rock and the pull on the cable 23 relaxed, the device being supported by the cable 2. The engaging devices then automatically separate and release f the rock and it is deposited at the point desired.

The device is then moved over to the next rock and the operation completed. It will be seen that by means of this construction it is not necessary to form recesses in the sides of the rock and all this trouble and labor and expense is done away with. It will further be seen that it is not necessary to grip the rock in any particular position, because it can be gripped at any point. If the gripping is near one end, the only thing that will happen will be that the rock will tilt, but this does no harm and the rock can be lifted and moved and deposited just as readily. This feature may often be a beneficial result for it sometimes happens that it is desirable to lay the rock on an inclined surface. It is also sometimes necessary to remove the rock from an inclined surface.

It will also be seen that this device may be used for lifting rocks out of the water without the aid of divers. In this event it is only necessary to bring the device over the rock, lower it in the water and when the rock is in between the faces 14 and 15 to tighten the cable 23 so as to cause the device to grip the rock and lift it by the cable 23.

It will further be seen that the gripping action is produced by transferring the pull or lifting action from the cable 2 to the cable 23, and that the rock is released by transferring the pull or lifting action from the cable 23 to the cable 2.

It will be seen that in this construction I have a pair of arms pivoted together and a second pair of arms pivoted together, the latter arms being also pivoted to the rst mentioned arms, and that I also have means for moving the pivotal points of the two pairs of arms towards each other to clamp the rock, and means for moving these pivotal points away from each other to release the rock.

It will be seen that in the present device the two rock engaging members or arms are diametrically opposed to each other and that the engaging faces are blunt so that they simply frictionally engage the rock to be handled. It will also be noted that the length of the arms 9 is much greater than the length of the parts which project laterally therefrom and frictionally engage the rock. It will also be seen that this latter construction and the arrangement of the pulleys provide a multiplying device for multiplying the pull of the rock engaged by the rock engaging members and for concentrating the said pull of the rock upon the two opposed frictionally engaging ends of the rock engaging members, thus causing the rock engaging members to act by compressive force to frictionally support the rock to be handled. It will further be noted that the entire pull of the rock as multiplied by the multiplying device is not distributed among four or ve engaging points on the rock, but is concentrated to two opposed engaging faces and that this frictional engagement between the engaging faces of the rock engaging members and the rock is suflicient to hold the rock under all conditions.

I claim:

1. A rock handling device comprising supporting means and a single rock engaging member on each side thereof, the two single rock engaging members being diametrically opposed and provided with opposed frictionally engaging ends between which the rock is received, the rock holding said ends separated, the ends frictionally engaging diametrically opposed surfaces on the rock, two sets of arms connected with said rock engaging members and projecting therefrom in the same generally vertical direction, one set fixed with relation thereto and pivotally connected together, the other set pivotally connected thereto and pivotally connected together, said rock engaging members, engaging ends and sets of arms being in substantially the same vertical plane, and a multiplying device mechanically interposed between the points, where the two sets of arms are pivotally connected together for multiplying the pull of the rock engaged by said rock engaging members, said engaging ends and sets of arms servingA to concentrate the pull of said rock upon the two opposed frictionally engaging ends of said rock engaging members, whereby said two opposed rock engaging members are held in a separated position andY act by compressive force to frictionally support the rock to be handled.

2. A rock handling device comprising supporting means and a single rock engaging member on each side thereof, the two single rock engaging members being diametrically opposed and provided with opposed frictionally engaging ends between which the rock is received, the rock holding said ends separated, the ends frictionally engaging diametrically opposed surfaces on the rock, two sets of arms connected with said rock engaging members and projecting therefrom in the same generally vertical direction, one set xed with relation thereto and forming with the rock engaging members T-shaped members and pivotally connected together, the other set pivotally connected to said rock engaging members at the outer ends thereof and pivotally connected together, said rock engaging members, engaging ends and sets of arms being in substantially the same vertical plane, and a multiplying device mechanically interposed between the rpoints where the two sets of arms are pivotally connected together for multiplying the pull of the rock engaged by said rock engaging members, said engaging ends and sets of arms serving to concentrate the pull of said rock upon the two opposed frictionally engaging ends of said rock engaging members, whereby said two opposed rock engaging members are held in a separated position and act by compressive force to frictionally support the rock to be handled.

3. A rock handling device comprising supporting means and a single rock engaging member on each side thereof, the two single rock engaging members being diametrically opposed and provided with opposed frictionally engaging ends between which the rock is received, the rock holding said ends separated, the ends frictionally engaging diametrically opposed surfaces on the rock, two sets of arms connected with said rock engaging members and projecting therefrom in the same generaly vertical direction, one set xed with relation thereto and pivotally connected together, the other set pivotally connected thereto and pivotaly connected together, said rock engaging members, engaging ends and sets of arms being in substantially the same vertical plane, a multiplying device mechanically interposed between the points where the two sets of arms are pivotally connected together for multiplying the pull of the rock engaged by said rock engaging members, and a pivoted supporting member interposed between the pivoted ends of the armsk fixed to said rock engaging means and said multiplying device, said engaging ends and sets of arms serving to concentrate the pull of said rock upon the two opposed frictionally engaging ends of said rock engaging members, whereby said two opposed rock engaging members are held in a separated position and act by compressive force to frictionally support the rock to be handled.

OGDEN R. ODMAN. 

